Something about the face? Cross-dresser arrested in UAE women-only park

By Aroub Abdelhaq, CNN

Updated 12:28 PM ET, Wed November 14, 2012

A mug shot of a man who dressed like a woman to sneak into a ladies only park in the UAE.

Story highlights

An Indian man is accused of "violating public decency" in Sharjah, part of UAE

He donned women's clothing and sneaking into a women-only park

It was not clear if his moustache might have been a weak point in his disguise

Police arrested an Indian man for "violating public decency" and breaching modesty laws after he dressed in traditional Arab women's clothing and slipped into a women-only park in Sharjah, one of the United Arab Emirates.

It was not clear if the man's moustache might have been a weak point in his disguise.

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A mug shot of the man wearing a headscarf and an abaya, a traditional loose-fitting black garment, has been released by police and widely circulated in the local press.

The man, identified only by his initials, R.S.R, violated "principles of public decency and societal customs and authentic Arab Islamic traditions," Sharjah Police said in a news release issued Saturday.

It was later discovered that the man had been living in the country illegally and his case has been transferred to the public prosecutor's office, police said.

The man is in custody and has not been available for comment. Police would not reveal if he has a lawyer, saying only that the case is now with the public prosecutor.

The emirate of Sharjah is only 10 miles from its glitzy neighbor, Dubai, but is much more conservative. The third largest emirate in the UAE, Sharjah is known for enforcing a strict dress code under which residents have to be attired decently by Islamic standards. Ladies-only parks, beaches and clubs are common.